New Delhi: President A P J Abdul Kalam on March 3 appreciated Germany's consistent support to India in the struggle against cross-border terrorism and this had been further strengthened with the signing of a bilateral extradition treaty and the establishment of Joint Working Group on Terrorism.

Speaking at a banquet hosted in honour of the visiting German President Johannes Rau and his wife Christina Rau, the President said, "We are determined to root out terrorism, to preserve our way of life, our freedom and liberties."

He said terrorism rejects treaties, boundaries, limitations and norms, whether geographic or moral and quoting the German leader, the President said, "If terrorism is to be given no leeway, then we have not just the right to insist upon punishment, rather we also need to act appropriately and resolutely against terrorism."

Kalam said democracy and pluralism are the pillars of both the Indian and German states and "today democracy is under threat from authoritarian regimes and dictatorships and compounded by international terrorism."

PTI